Chapter 9

"Hey, do I look invisible to you? How dare you gossip right in front of me?" Michael Stone's icy tone instantly silenced the group of children.

"David, Tommy, let's go home."

Just as David was about to argue back, Emily Johnson's gentle voice intervened. The two boys immediately trailed behind her like little ducklings, skipping away cheerfully.

The other children exchanged uneasy glances before scattering in all directions.

News traveled faster than the wind in the village. By noon, word of Emily dressing the children in new clothes had spread throughout the entire production team.

At that moment, Emily was picking vegetables with the boys in their private plot—a neatly tended piece of land not far from their home.

"Mom, I always bring Tommy here to pull weeds," David said proudly. At five years old, he was still too young for school, as most village children didn't start until seven or eight.

"You're such a good helper," Emily praised, ruffling his hair.

Meanwhile, on a remote path outside the county town—

"Third Brother, we'll strike it rich once we sell this batch!" Charles Clark, his skin darkened by the sun, rubbed his hands together eagerly.

Michael narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the road ahead. Standing at six feet tall, he cut an imposing figure even in his rough-spun clothes, his sharp presence impossible to ignore.

"Third Brother, is your wife still giving you trouble?" Daniel River asked cautiously. As Michael's cousin, he both respected and feared the man.

At the mention of Emily, Michael's expression darkened. "She wants to return to the city."

"Honestly, you should take her and the kids to visit her family," Samuel Bright suggested, adjusting his glasses. The slender young man served as the group's strategist. "She hasn't been back since coming to the countryside—it's natural to miss home."

Charles chimed in, "Exactly! My girl gets excited for days if I buy her a hairpin."

Daniel and Samuel exchanged a look—this fool was wrapped around his sweetheart's finger again.

Michael gazed into the distance. He'd been away for half a month—had her anger cooled? This time, he'd bring back something special for her.

Just then, seven or eight burly men suddenly blocked their path.

"Hand over the goods, Stone, and we might let you walk away alive!"

Michael smirked and cracked his knuckles. "You're asking for death."

Before the words fully left his mouth, he lunged forward like a tiger. This was already the third ambush in two weeks.